Governance:

The Texas Orthopaedic Foundation
Code of Ethics, Governance Standards & Policies

I. Personal and Professional Integrity
All staff, board members and volunteers of the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation (“Foundation”) act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the Foundation. The Foundation promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness and integrity.

II. Mission
The Foundation has a clearly stated mission and purpose, approved by the Board of Trustees, in pursuit of the public good. The mission of this organization is to:

• Create public awareness of the importance of musculoskeletal health in the State of Texas;
• Encourage scientific, educational, and charitable endeavors which will promote and advance the science and art of orthopaedic surgery;
• Support research and education on diseases and injuries of bones, joints, nerves, and muscles, and
• Enhance clinical care, leading to improved health, increased activity, and a better quality of life for patients in Texas.

All of its programs support the mission and all who work for or on behalf of the Foundation understand and are loyal to the mission and purpose. The mission is responsive to the needs of orthopaedic communities and the Texas public through educational means.

III. Governance
The Foundation has an active governing body that is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the Foundation and oversight of the finances, operations, and policies of the Foundation. The governing body:

• Ensures that its board members have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that all members understand and fulfill their governance duties acting for the benefit of the Foundation and its public purpose; and
• Has a conflict of interest policy that ensures that any conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof are avoided or appropriately managed through disclosure, recusal or other means. It is the policy of the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation that the governing body - its officers, trustees, committee members and staff - must disclose any direct or indirect conflict of interest, or the appearance thereof, that they or the members of their immediate families or employer may have in any matter involving the Foundation. Further, any conflicted person shall make full disclosure and not be present during the discussion of the relevant facts or vote thereon by the trustees.
• Is responsible for the hiring and regular review of the performance of the Executive Vice President, and ensures that the compensation of the chief executive officer is reasonable and appropriate;
• Ensures that the Foundation is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for all board, staff and volunteer positions;
• Ensures that the Executive Vice President and appropriate staff provide the governing body with timely and comprehensive information so that the governing body can effectively carry out its duties;
• Ensures that the Foundation conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty;
• Ensures that the Foundation promotes working relationships with board members, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness;
• Ensures that policies of the Foundation are in writing, clearly articulated and officially adopted;
• Ensures that the resources of the Foundation are responsibly and prudently managed; and,
• Ensures that the Foundation has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively.

IV. Openness and Disclosure
The Foundation provides comprehensive and timely information to the Texas public, the media, and all in the appropriate health care arena and is responsive in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information. All solicitation materials accurately represent the Foundation’s policies and practices and will reflect the dignity of program donor and beneficiaries. All financial, organizational, and program reports will be complete and accurate in all material respects.

V. Program Evaluation
The Foundation regularly reviews program effectiveness and has mechanisms to incorporate lessons learned into future programs. The Foundation is committed to improving program and organizational effectiveness and develops mechanisms to promote learning from its activities and the field of orthopaedics. The Foundation is responsive to changes in its field of activity and is responsive to the needs of its donors, beneficiaries and to Texans’ musculoskeletal health.

VI. Inclusiveness and Diversity
The Foundation has a policy of promoting inclusiveness and its staff, board members and volunteers reflect diversity. The Foundation will take meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment and the orthopaedic community served.

VII. Fundraising
The Foundation’s Fund Development Committee is charged with ensuring a coordinated and consistent approach to all the Foundation's outreach, fundraising and development activities. The Foundation will be truthful in their solicitation materials. The Foundation respects the privacy concerns of individual donors and expends funds consistent with donor intent. The Foundation will provide important and relevant information to potential donors.

In raising funds from the public, the Foundation respects the rights of donors, as follows:

• To be informed of the mission of the Foundation, the way the resources will be used and their capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes;

• To be informed of the identity of those serving on the Foundation’s governing board and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities;

• To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given;

• To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition;

• To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by the law;

• To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature;

• To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from lists that the Foundation may intend to share, and

• To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

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